“I was lucky,” said Sjaoel Richardson, “I had a good dad. He pulled his own weight.” Growing up in the Netherlands, Sjaoel played soccer. “My dad would come to the games. He would stand on the sidelines.”
Sjaoel recalled his dad, Hyacinth Richardson, taking him to the movies or theme parks. Yet his dad, now 68, never saw Sjaoel play a single game. He never saw his son enjoy the rides. In fact, he never saw his son.
Hyacinth had an accident that cost him his sight at the age of seven. But that has never stopped the St. Maartener. He moved to the Netherlands to learn to how to deal with his lack of vision, and in time he started seeking employment. “I bounced around from job to job. It was not easy. I wanted to be a social worker,” said Hyacinth in an interview with The Daily Herald.
Sjaoel recalls stories from when he was a young child about his dad, Hyacinth, in the Netherlands in a rehab center undergoing therapy, a continuing effort, to help him overcome his lack of sight. “Dad liked to take the bus. He would leave the rehab center and try to go someplace. Occasionally he failed miserably. The rehab people would get upset, but my dad just kept trying.” It is that spirit of never giving up that has always defined Hyacinth.
During the 70's he decided to take up running for exercise. He would get a training a partner and go for long flat runs tied to his partner with a rope.
Now years later, he has found that running on flat land has gotten boring. “I heard about trail running; it seemed exciting. I wanted to try it.”
Hyacinth heard about a 26 K forest trail run. He signed up and asked organizers if they could find a partner (supervisor) willing to guide him. Just minutes before the run, Hyacinth met Eddy Grootemaat. The two talked briefly. Grootemaat had never been tied to another runner, and had never “talked a runner thru a run, let alone a course with rocks, trees, curves and roots across the path.” But they decided to give it a go.
Off the pair went. “It went good,” said Hyacinth. “I enjoyed it and am going to do another.” After a small chuckle he admitted there were one or two minor events, like when Grootemaat needed a drink and Hyacinth bumped into a tree that he was not warned about! Not only did the lead runner describe the trail and what is coming from turns, rocks and roots, but he also tried to describe the beauty of the forest so Hyacinth can visualize the run. As he runs, he focuses on smells and sounds, which is one of the reasons he enjoys being in a natural environment.
“My dad is not a rich man, but he is admirable,” says Sjaoel. When he is not training, Hyacinth does volunteer work.
Hyacinth divides his time between working at a hospice and a refugee center. “At the hospice, I just try to make people's final days a little bit more comfortable. Working with the refugees, mostly from Syria, I have to teach the people what is freedom. Help them understand they can speak their mind. I also try to teach them while freedom is good they still have to be respectful to others.”
Despite his visual challenge, Hyacinth believes in personnel development. He has two college degrees, and learned sport massage to help his son’s soccer team. He also has earned a black belt in judo.
Sjaoel was born and raised in the Netherlands but always considered St. Maarten to be home. Growing up, there was always Caribbean music playing in the house and the food was Caribbean. It was a Caribbean culture. Sjaoel moved to St. Maarten 14 years ago and now has a family of his own. “My dad pushes himself. He taught me there are no limits.”
